In Need of a Vacation
by Alexandria Keating
Summary: "I think," she pondered out loud, "that the Goblin King could do with a vacation away from his kingdom." Jareth's tolerance for his subjects is quickly dwindling, and Sarah ropes him into join her at her parent's cabin in the mountains. Sequel to "Cold Nights, Warm Hearts, Gentle Music" and "A Kissing Game" but could be read as a standalone.


**A/N: This is a continuation of "Cold Nights, Warm Hearts, Gentle Music" and "A Kissing Game". It can be read solo though. Kind of shameless bickering fluff. I've put these two through enough. They can have a sweet one shot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Labyrinth'**

* * *

A small pop cut through her apartment, followed closely by a quick succession of high-pitched thrill. When he had first started visiting, she had made the mistake of assuming a thunderstorm was gathering in the distance. On the contrary, it was gathering always within five feet of her. Instead of it being a tumultuous swirl of air and precipitation and electrostatic, it was a tumultuous swirl of tight pants and wild hair and magic. And glitter. She couldn't forget the glitter. That damned stuff got everywhere and stayed.

Pulling her long hair up in one hand, slicking back the sticky tendrils from the nape of her neck, she yanked the elastic tie from her wrist and wrapped it around the dark mass. Sarah pushed her bedroom door open and walked into the living room, flicking on the fan that rested on her kitchen counter. She stood in the path of its delicious stirred air for a moment before turning to face the Goblin King that lounged on her couch.

"Thank you for keeping in mind my privacy this time."

"Whatever do you mean?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Last time you apparated by for a visit it just so happened to be in the shower. With me."

A gloved finger traced a fading bruise that encircled his right eye. "Yes. How could I forget? I won't be doing that again. At least not any time soon. And I still don't understand that word," he finished.

"There's only _one_ word you don't understand? Hmm. I'm impressed," she teased.

"Yes. Memorizing every language known to all beings gets rather dull after a while. I couldn't be expected to know all. That would be - "

"All right, now. Which one? Apparate?"

"Yes."

"I'm talking about your little - " she gestured about in no particular matter.

"That's so helpful, precious."

"Oh hush, you. You disappearing and reappearing out of thin air."

"You mean my traveling?"

"Yes."

"It's how I travel," Jareth said, arching his neck back over the armrest. "There's no special term for it in your tongue."

"Well, now there is," Sarah insisted as she filled her flower vase with fresh water, willing the wilting things to perk up. As she set them down on the counter, the withered petals immediately began to gain their color and stretch out in lush health. "Thank you."

"It is nothing."

Sarah smirk.

"I still do not understand."

With a sigh the young woman made her way over to the disgruntled and wearied king. "Remind me to have you watch _Harry Potter._"

He groaned. "Do you think the goblins would enjoy it?"

"Why?"

"Because I can't figure out a way to get those blasted creatures to sit still for five minutes." He sat up as Sarah stepped up next to the couch. Jareth's arms snaked around her slim waist and he buried his head into her stomach. A light smile touched the chestnut haired woman's lips as her fingers entwined themselves into his pale, feathery hair. She gently massaged his scalp and expertly slid her fingers down to his neck and over his shoulders, working at each patch of knotted muscles she found.

"I think," she pondered out loud, "that the Goblin King could do with a vacation away from his kingdom. "

As a sharp crash filled her apartment and green eyes turned and stared in horror at the shattered vase that lay on her kitchen floor, water pooling out and flowers strewn about. A small goblin flinched away from her harsh glare and quickly evaporated.

A groan passed her lips and she pulled away from the lithe man to clean up the mess. His arms, however, simply tightened their grip and dragged her back to him. He rested his strong chin against her stomach as his mismatched gaze faced upwards, a smirk dancing on his thin lips. "I think dear Sarah needs one, too."

Sarah laughed as she leaned down a placed a gentle kiss on his awaiting lips. "You're incorrigible," she mumbled against the soft skin.

"Aren't I?" he questioned as swiftly stood up, hitching the young woman's legs around his waist.

With a yelp of surprise, her arms clutched around his neck in desperation, but her cry was quickly silenced as fingers snaked into her hair and arched her face to the perfect angle as his lips ferociously met hers.

Sarah pulled away, clamping her hand over his mouth. "Slow down there. I've got to get to work in fifteen minutes."

"It's just the bookstore at the end of the street. You can be there in two minutes," he said; his voice muffled by her hand.

"Maybe, but I'd like to get there early."

He groaned and set her down; however, he still held her close. "But first, what about this wonderful vacation you were talking about?"

"What about it?"

"Where would you like to go? London? Paris? Rome? Perhaps explore the Underground?" he offered.

"My parents have a small cabin up in the mountains. It's the off season right now. We still get some people renting, but not as many. I can see when they have it available. We could spend a weekend there."

"A cabin?"

"Yes."

"Is that truly what you desire, precious?" he asked, his fingers combing through her hair.

"Yes."

* * *

Sarah's fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she sang along to _A Crazy Little Thing Called Love. _Her foot eased up on the gas and hovered over the brake as she turned around the bend; her eyes flitted over the sheer cliff to her left and the drop off to the tumbling river below her. Giving the car gas to power the gas through the next turn, she adjusted the wheel of the car accordingly. The road straightened out for a moment and a soft _pop_ threw off the air pressure in her car for a painful moment. She growled as she blew to rattle her lips, trying to get the glitter that had stuck to them off. A light chuckle met her ears as gloved fingers brushed against her lips and wiped away the stray bits of glitter. Once her lips were back to their original state, she risked a brief moment to flash the man in the seat next to her a glare.

"Really?" she demanded before she focused on the dips and curves of the road.

"What, precious? I thought you would like to spend as much time as possible with me."

She frowned. "You're lucky the road was straight. I might have swerved off it it hadn't been."

"I don't know why you insisted on driving yourself there. I could've brought us in a matter of seconds." He huffed.

"Because I like the view. Why'd _you_ suddenly decide to join me for the ride? I mean, c'mon, the glitter! I'm never going to vacuum it all out."

"A small guarantee that you'll always think of me." He smirked.

The chestnut haired woman huffed. The car bucked over a bump and clattered over a small bridge. "Doesn't guarantee the thoughts'll be pleasant," she hissed.

Jareth laughed.

"But really, why the change of mind?"

"I tried those Hairy Pot-or films that you gave me - "

"Harry Potter," she corrected.

"Hm?"

"Harry Potter. 'You're saying it wrong,'" she quoted with a smile that left her face when she saw his expression. "Sorry. Continue."

"Anyways, I was projecting the films for the goblins to watch, hoping to have some quiet before I met you but..."

"What?"

He growled. "Those damn creatures started running around the castle brandishing sticks, hitting everyone and every_thing and shouting_."

Sarah tried to fight off a smile as his voice went falsetto in attempt to mimic his subjects.

"'_Mimzie can make chicken float.'_ And she tosses the bloody chicken after shouting some non-sense words - no, they weren't even that. '_Pick float!'_ And he throws himself out the castle window. Thank the gods that goblins are some of the most resilient creatures I know. '_Creap want wine! Make water wine!'_ She then spends the rest of the time staring intently at a bucket of water."

The driver can't hold it in anymore and steers off into a merciful pull-off. She throws the car into park and grasps her sides, howling in laughter. Her chest seizes. Her throat is dry and rough. Her stomach flinches in pain as it pushes the air from her lungs. Her eyes are watering. And, she can't stop.

"I don't know what's so hilarious, Sarah," Jareth states. "I barely managed to sneak away. I dread what I will go home to. My castle, my kingdom, my poor throne."

Sarah forces herself to breathe. Deep breath. Hold. Release slowly. Cut off the arising chuckle at the distress pinching the Goblin King's face. Deep breath. Hold. Release slowly.

Her process for calming down was interrupted when Jareth leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. The buckle clicked as he undid it, and Sarah winced as the fabric burns her skin as it zipped back into the door. He pushed her back against the door and nuzzled into her shoulder, pressing soft kisses to the base of her neck. The young woman shrugged her shoulders and tried to push him off.

"Jareth, we're in my car, on the side of the road, in _broad daylight. Can you please get off me?_"

He mumbled something incoherent into her skin.

Her body froze at the warm breath caressing her. She arched into him; her hormones and body declared mutiny over her brain. _Dammit, no. _Sarah felt Jareth humming, his chest vibrating against her. But, he pulled away and lounged in the passenger seat.

She pouted before she had decided not to.

He chuckled and brushed a gloved finger under her lip. "C'mon, precious. Let's go."

She smiled and sat up. After buckling her seatbelt, she shifted gears and got back onto the road.

* * *

Sarah punched the code into the keypad and the door beeped as it unlocked. Swinging the door open, she held it open for Jareth who walked in and set the ice chest she'd brought on the table, her bag draped over his shoulder. She stepped in behind him and turned to shut the door.

Her bag clattered against the wood floor.

"Careful! You'll scuff - " she started to complain before she was cut off.

Jareth's hands grasped her hips and pressed her against the door. His lips met hers, ferociously devouring. She managed to make out soft thumps against the ground. Cool fingers snuck under the hem of her shirt and traced the waist of her jeans. He'd taken off his gloves.

She clutched onto his shoulders and angled her body closer to his. After a moment, she pulled back to breath, but his lips stayed on her. They traced every edge of her face before moving down her neck. She'd come to wonder over the past six months if whatever creature Jareth was didn't need as much oxygen as humans, or maybe they just had better lung capacity.

Her stomach growled in protest of the acid gnawing away at it in boredom.

"Stop."

He grumbled, but he acquiesced. He always did every since New Year's.

"You're like a damn horny teenager. Can't I eat? I'm starving."

"Horny, hm. Yes. Teenager. No."

"Such eloquence," she snickered as she ducked from his grip and set the oven to four-fifty to let it pre-heat. "I hope you like lasagna."

The brunette made her way to the table and lifted the lid on the chest and pulled out an aluminum pan covered in foil and coat in thawing ice. She set it on the counter.

"I have never had it."

"What? Really?"

"That's what I said, is not, precious?"

She frowned. "It was an exclamation," she protested as she turned and walked to the couch in the adjoined living room.

Soft hands rested on her shoulders and worked at the stiff muscles. A firm chin settled on her head.

"I just thought you would know more. I mean, you're not exactly the youngest - How old are you anyway?"

"That doesn't matter, precious."

"No, I want to know."

He paused before reluctantly answering. "I'm approaching four millennium. Still young according to my people, though."

"So, you're four thousand years old?" she asked.

"Mhmm."

"Pervert," she muttered with a smile as she looked up at him. "I'm barely twenty-six."

He laughed and leaned down, giving her a chaste kiss. "For you, I'm anything."

Her smile grew. She reached up and wrapped her hands around his. "Well, as I was saying, you're that old, probably taking bratty sisters' kid brothers for a decent bit of that time. I figured you got around, explored the area. It's just odd that there's so much you don't know."

"I'm happy to learn, if you teach me."

"Of course."

The oven beeped to signal it had reached the desired temperature.

Sarah jumped up and rushed over. Opening the oven, a wave of dry heat scratched across her face. She puffed out her cheeks and placed the pan on the highest rack. She shut the oven and put the timer on for an hour as she let out her breath.

Arms looped around her waist. "We've got an hour, huh?"

"Mhmm. Plus another fifteen or so to brown the cheese. What do you say I acquaint you with reality TV? Maybe the History channel has something good on. Or Animal Planet."

She grabbed his hands, placed them on her shoulders and led him back to the living room. Sarah dropped him off at the couch. She snatched up the remote from the top of the entertainment center and made a detour to the side of the fireplace to set the timer to two hours. The gas flames flickered to life in between the faux logs. The young woman plopped down next to Jareth and curled up against his side. She pressed the power button, and the screen blinked into life.

"Tell me if you see anything you like," Sarah said as she began to flip through the channels.

His hand encapsulated hers; his other coming around and pulling the remote from her grip.

She turned to face him; her eyebrows puckered in confusion.

"I see something I like. Right here, precious," he said, his voice shaky and husky. He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose, her eyes, her cheeks.

She growled. "You still don't know how to kiss in this situation." Her fingers twisted in his hair and dragged his lips to hers.

"What about the lasagna?" he mumbled.

"There's a timer for a reason."

The remote clattered to the floor as she straddled his lap. He grunted in surprise as her hands took to explore the planes of his chest. His own hands traced circles around her knees before pushing upwards against the current of her thigh. His fingers dug into her hips forcing her closer. Not content with even this, they locked onto her ass and heaved her closer against his firm frame. Tightening his grip, he stood up and turned around, laying her back down on the couch as he nestled on top of her; his lips never leaving hers.

When they both drew apart the smallest distance it took to refill their burning lungs, their chests strained against each other in a struggle to replenish each participants oxygen supply. Jareth recovered first and quickly moved to ghosting his lips across her collarbone.

"Do you - ?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed out.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm damn sure."

"I just don't want to hurt you again," he choked out as he raised his body from her, propping himself up on his hands and knees.

"You won't," she said, her bright eyes glinted with a hard light. "I trust you. I love you."

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips as he lowered himself again. "I love you, too, my precious Sarah," he whispered against her skin.

* * *

**That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed this little one shot. Please let me know what you think!**

**~Alexandria Keating**


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